We Can Ride Blog - Therapeutic Horseback Riding, Carriage Driving, and Hippotherapy

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From Our Riders

noreply@blogger.com (Elise) — Fri, 15 May 2009 12:03:00 +0000

Hannah, from my Thursday evening class, wrote this essay for school starring Zip and we thought it would be wonderful for everyone to be able to read it.

Zip

By Hannah

We Can Ride farm is a program for special needs. They ride on horses a lot. I love horses a lot, because it is my favorite animal. Zip is a very good horse to ride. They each have a stable to stay. There are a lot of people there. They take care of the horses. They can ride on them. Horses eat a lot everyday. I go every Thursday night. Zip is my horse every night. I am happy to ride on a horse. I want to have a horse as a pet

Horse Tack Sale Fund Raiser

noreply@blogger.com (Elise) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 13:25:00 +0000

For the past few years and now this year, We Can Ride has held an annual Tack Sale Fundraiser. All of the tack in the sale has been donated by supporters of We Can Ride and all the proceeds from the sale go to support We Can Ride's Equine Assisted Therapies.

I've been to a few of the tack sales around Minnesota and I have to say, the We Can Ride Tack Sale may be small but it's packed with great stuff! The best part about the sale is that the items are not consigned, we set our own prices and the total price goes to our program! I almost always come up with an excuse to buy new tack for my horses. If you don't have horses our tack sale has horse themed apparel as well. Maybe you'd like a nice cowboy or cowgirl hat or a belt to wear to your next equine function!

Tell all your friends about our sale, print off a flier and put it up at your barn, and show up on Saturday morning at 9am! Check out our tack sale page for all the information: http://www.wecanride.org/tacksale.php

We Can Ride Hosts MN State NARHA Conference

noreply@blogger.com (Elise) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 13:37:00 +0000

Saturday We Can Ride hosted the 2009 MN State NARHA Conference at the U of MN Leatherdale Equine Center. While it was a small conference this year, it was packed with great information. Attendants began the afternoon with a private tour of the University's Equine Center which showed off the facility's top of the line equipment, much of which is limited to very few locations in the nation.

Following the tour, We Can Ride Instructor/Therapist, Tina Phelps, presented the group some thoughts on Risk Assessment for both in the barn/arena and for life in general.

We ended the afternoon with a presentation by Therapists Doug Merz and Kathy Simcox on the Practical Application of Hippotherapy on the Neurologically Impaired. This final presentation included a practical demonstration in the arena with horses and riders.

Overall the conference was a success and provided instructors with some continuing education hours as well as a look at the new equine center. Now that the winter is coming to a close (can you believe that) it's nice to get back in gear and start thinking about equine assisted activities again. We hope to have a State Conference in the future so keep an eye out for news on the next one!

noreply@blogger.com (jenni) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 19:21:00 +0000

Fun class activity!
Asked each rider to draw their horse, how awesome are these?:

Treat Yourself and Support Therapeutic Riding and We Can Ride

noreply@blogger.com (Elise) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 02:34:00 +0000

A Glamorous Night, A Good Cause! Come taste gourmet appetizers, mouthwatering entrees and desserts prepared by over 40 Minnesota chefs. Take a stroll around the silent auction tables and bid on meal certificates, creative baskets, artwork, and jewelry (to name a few!). Sit with friends, and meet new ones at a 5-course meal prepared just for you! Hang on to your hats—a live auction featuring fine wines, a Kentucky Horse Park vacation, and dining experiences hosted by executive Chef John T. Riley himself will take your breath away. And the best part: all proceeds support We Can Ride! Get more information at http://www.wecanride.org/chefs.php and reserve your tickets today!

Happy Holidays!

noreply@blogger.com (Elise) — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 16:34:00 +0000

Got the Holiday Spirit? Instead of battling mall parking lots, enduring wrapping-paper-cuts, and paying annoying shipping and handling fees, give a donation to We Can Ride at www.wecanride.org! Every dollar given helps support individuals and families living with disabilities by pairing them with well trained therapeutic riding and driving horses and a team of instructors, volunteers, and staff. You can give in honor or in memory of a loved one, or sponsor one of our many therapy horses pictured on our horse page. You will receive a thank-you letter acknowledging your gift, and your name and your loved one's name will appear in one of our quarterly editions of the Joy Riding newsletter!

What Makes a Good Therapy Horse

noreply@blogger.com (Elise) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:26:00 +0000

I'm reposting this article I found on DonateMyHorse.com about what makes a good therapy horse by Katie Guernsey:

Therapeutic riding is for people of all ages with various disabilities, and it has become very popular. For horses, however, the invitation is much more restricted. There are specialized expectations of a horse used in therapeutic riding. If there were a Therapy Horse Admissions Test ("THAT") analogous to the SAT or GRE, competitive scores for THAT would start at 700.

Foremost, a therapy horse needs to be safe, predictable, and sound. He has to be intelligent, well-conditioned, unflappable, sensitive, patient, hard-working, balanced, and versatile. He must also be tolerant of unpredictable noises and positional changes made by riders, and responsive to his handler's instructions. These qualifications insure safety for the rider, and provide an environment that allows the rider to enjoy and benefit from his or her experiences with horses.

The benefits to the rider are much more extensive than most people know. In addition to learning riding skills, the rider develops physical strength, flexibility, and coordination. Exercises specific to the person's disabilities are employed to improve motor skills and improve balance and body awareness. Communication and expressive language skills also develop. All of these benefits enhance self-esteem.

Just as the horse improves quality of life for the rider, quality of life is equally as important for the horse. Daniel Feeney, DVM, the regular veterinarian for several therapeutic riding centers in Connecticut and Florida, recommends "ample turnout, a regulated workload, consistent exercise by able-bodied riders, and high-quality nutrition and veterinary care" as some of the ways to keep therapy horses healthy and happy.

What kind of horse can meet the many needs of the therapeutic riding population? Too often people think that any older, mild-mannered, semi-sound horse of any size fits the bill. On the contrary, the ideal therapy horse is between the ages of eight and 12, around 15 hands high, and highly athletic. A stable's therapeutic riding herd should include horses of different breeds and conformations to offer a wide variety of movement types.

The reality of finding suitable horses is that most therapeutic riding farms have to compromise to some extent. They accept horses that come closest to meeting the criteria, then use specialized training programs to work on areas of weakness. Many of these organizations are non-profit, and significant portions of funds raised go to supporting the costs of riders. Luckily,

therapeutic riding centers across the country get phone calls on a regular basis from horse owners looking to give or lease their horses. Each center has its own methods of evaluating a prospective therapy horse.

Evaluating a Potential Therapy Horse

At High Hopes Therapeutic Riding in Old Lyme, Conn., the first step taken to evaluate a potential therapy horse is to obtain a background and medical history on the animal. The staff reviews a video of the horse showing the walk, trot, and canter with a rider. They might visit the horse on site, and/or bring the horse in for a trial period.

As former barn manager, Kristin Elliott-Leas of High Hopes explains, "While many of our horses are donated, we also fundraise to allow for purchasing horses to meet certain needs."

For example, several years ago High Hopes bought a 16.1-hand, 17-year-old Canadian Thoroughbred gelding named Doc. He was selected for independent walk-trot-canter riders as well as for hippotherapy, which uses the movement of the horse to treat specific physical, sensory, and speech and language disabilities. According to Carolyn Jagielski, physical therapist and therapeutic riding instructor, "Doc is very good at long-lining, which gives the rider better movement and the horse handler better control of that movement. By tracking-up, Doc produces more rotation in the rider's pelvis, which is a key element in achieving relaxation in abnormally tight muscles. He is narrow, and therefore good for riders who have cerebral palsy or multiple sclerosis and experience spasticity (severe muscle tightness) in their legs. When we first got him he could jump well, and that was good for our independent riders."

Greco: A Good Therapy Horse

Greco is a 16.1-hand, 21-year-old Oldenburg gelding whose owner donated him to High Hopes for use in the therapy program. Prior to going to High Hopes, Greco was a Grand Prix dressage horse that--according to his owner Karen Horn--"was ready for a change of pace." She could not bear to retire him with her other horses at her farm because she wanted him to be able to continue to interact with people, "because he thrives on being admired."

She was right. Greco fit perfectly into the program. Instead of doing piaffes and turns on the forehand with his riders as he did in dressage, he does beautifully controlled transitions and gives balanced, forward movement with plenty of impulsion to challenge his rider's balance.

When Things Don't Work Out

Have you ever started a new job or hobby, thinking that it was just what you wanted to do, only to find yourself dissatisfied with it down the line? This is just what happened to Kansas, a 15-hand, 20-year-old Thoroughbred cross, who after passing all therapy horse admissions tests with flying colors and working in High Hopes' program successfully for 11Ž2 years, became unhappy in his role.

It was an easy decision to bring Kansas onboard, recalls Elliott-Leas. Staff and volunteers found him to be a perfect mount for therapeutic riding and were particularly impressed with his demeanor and charm. Given his background as a polo horse, he was accustomed to frequent weight shifts by his riders, and he was comfortable with various movements going on around him. Needless to say, he was readily accepted into the program.

Kansas spent an entire year seeming to enjoy his life and work at High Hopes. He shared a four-acre pasture and run-in shed with two other horses and worked in the program five days a week. He was willing and friendly, and he consistently impressed people with his abilities to work effectively with riders of all ages, with different disabilities and riding levels.

In his second year at High Hopes, the staff, volunteers, and riders began noticing changes in his behavior. Elliott-Leas recalls that "he seemed uncomfortable having sidewalkers due to their close proximity to him, was less tolerant of abrupt movements by his riders, and was easily agitated during grooming."

Based on these changes, he was given several weeks off, but it did not appear to help. Over the next six months, he was injured in his pasture and developed a hematoma on his back, which called for more time off. His workload was re-structured so that he participated only with riders needing little or no assistance from volunteers. Unfortunately, none of these attempts worked to bring back the "old" Kansas.

The initial step in the procedure for discharging horses from High Hopes is to contact the former owner to give him/her the option of taking the horse back, finding an alternative home, or allowing High Hopes to search for a new home, says Elliott-Leas. Kansas' previous owner elected to have High Hopes find Kansas a new home. According to his current owner, Kansas seems to be back to his old self.

The Impact on Therapy Horses

There is no dispute that therapy horses work very hard. They must stand quietly, always be attentive to the needs of their riders and the directions of their handlers, and wait patiently while riders mount and dismount. They are subjected to all levels of rider ability, and must develop skills particular to therapy horses (i.e., tolerance of wheelchairs, ramps, leg braces, and unusual rider noises). Due to this uniquely taxing workload, it is reasonable to expect that therapy horses experience a significant amount of stress.

To find out if this is in fact the case, Marie Suthers-McCabe, DVM, an associate professor of human-companion animal interaction at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, and Lynn Albano, DVM, a 2004 graduate of the vet school, designed and conducted a research study. They worked with 32 horses in four different types of equine-assisted programs. They tested blood cortisol levels twice a day--pre- and post-therapy sessions--as an indicator of stress level. In addition, the horses were videotaped during therapy sessions to evaluate behavior.

Suthers-McCabe says their results "indicate that 82% of these therapy horses are not experiencing elevations in blood cortisol levels, suggesting that equine-assisted therapy is not stressful for most horses.

"Two of the five horses with elevated levels were easily explained," she says. "One was new to the program and experiencing stressful herd dynamics, and another had a rider balancing on her mouth."

Also of note was that "in one horse, a comparison was made between changes in cortisol levels working with (mounted) physically disabled clients and the same horse working with (unmounted) mental health clients. This horse showed the lowest post-therapy cortisol level after working in a therapeutic riding program and the highest after working in an un-mounted equine-facilitated psychotherapy session."

Suthers-McCabe gave this possible explanation of the results: "We may have skewed our population because of the type of horses used. These horses have sound minds and were selected for that trait."

Based on these findings, she hopes to do further research "to determine correlations that will help people select the best horses for the work, and in turn modify the work to best suit the horses."

Take-Home Message

The high expectations set for therapy horses are directly related to the high demands of the work that is expected of them. Therapeutic riding is a sport unmatched in its uniqueness and effectiveness in providing inspiration, self-confidence, and opportunities to improve physical health and cognitive and psychological well being. If you think your horse might be suited to these tasks, you can contact a local therapeutic riding center and discuss a donation or leasing. To find a therapeutic riding center, contact the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (www.narha.org) for information on more than 700 programs nationwide.

printed in The Horse March 2006 Article #6641

Horse of the Year

noreply@blogger.com (Elise) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 12:00:00 +0000

We Can Ride would like to introduce the NARHA Region VI horse of the year, our very own Haji from Minnetonka. Haji has been serving We Can Ride for over 15 years and is now in the running for the NARHA National Horse of the year, which will be announced at the 2008 NARHA National Conference November 1, 2008. Check out the December issue of “Joy Riding” for the full story.

From the Director's Desk

noreply@blogger.com (Elise) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:11:00 +0000

The Economy and We Can Ride
Our current economic challenges can be seen all around and are felt daily by each and every one of us. As the price of food, gas, and other necessities increase, our incomes don’t seem to keep pace. Each of us is affected individually by these challenges but so are many corporations and non-profit organizations, including We Can Ride. As always we need each and everyone one of you as a rider or driver, volunteer, or financial supporter. To continue to provide our current services, We Can Ride needs individual financial donations, corporate donations, and family fund contributions more than ever before. Matching company funds from employers, an often untapped resource, are commonly available as well. Please consider a donation today so that We Can Ride can keep making miracles happen for our clients.

What We Can Ride is Doing
Last year We Can Ride was certified by NARHA as a Premier Accredited Program. This means we met the highest standards in the industry and it was only possible due to the incredibly dedicated, passionate and hard working We Can Ride staff. We served approximately 230 riders over the past year which required over 450 volunteers. A recently released study out of Washington University Program in Occupational Therapy sponsored by the Horses and Humans Research Foundation reports,

“We have shown that Hippotherapy is a therapeutic tool that makes a measure able and visible difference in basic skills that form the foundation of the most fundamental activities of every day life…”

Many of you have also seen these same results with our carriage driving and therapeutic riding classes. We Can Ride uses horses to help people discover their abilities.

Perhaps the easiest way to help is…
Tell everyone you know about We Can Ride and why you are involved. Encourage them to visit our web site and call the office for a Discover the Impact 1 hour tour. In preparation for these tours a committee of board members, one instructor and a staff members have produced a We Can Ride brochure and the new logo which has been introduced in this newsletter. Over our 26 year history our logo has been updated and changed several times. This one is designed to reach out to a broader audience and encourage this audience to learn more about how our horses and programs are helping people discover their abilities. We are excited about the potential to attract a broader base of We Can Ride supporters. The brochure and logo will not do this on their own; we need your help in talking to anyone who will listen to you about why and how you are involved in We Can Ride. Your passion and enthusiasm for our program is contagious and we want you to invite potential supporters to a “Discover Impact Tour” which is listed in this news letter and can also be found on our web site. Simply call our office for getting them out to see what you are so exited about.

-Tom Bezek

How To Be Great Volunteer!

noreply@blogger.com (Elise) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:54:00 +0000

I found this article on the web and thought it was a great piece of advice for all current and potential volunteers. We Can Ride relies on volunteers to keep running and most importantly our riders rely on volunteers. Without volunteers there is no We Can Ride. If volunteers don't show up for class, a rider has to be told they can't ride that night. If volunteers didn't help with fund raising events, we wouldn't be able to raise the money we need to feed and care for the horses. Volunteers are the heart and soul of We Can Ride and we appreciate each and every one of you!

Volunteering is fun and rewarding, but it’s also a little more complicated than just showing up and having a good time. Here’s some advice on how to make the most of your volunteer work:

Be selfless. Selfless is the opposite of selfish. Don’t think about what you can do to help yourself. Think about what you can do to help others.

Be well-trained. Know what you’re doing as a volunteer. If you need some time to learn your job, take that time. If you need training or need someone to show you what you’re supposed to do, speak up. If you’re good at your job, it will be much easier to help others (plus you’ll have a lot more fun).

Be dependable. Do what you say you’ll do, and do your best. Don’t show up late, and always keep your promises. People will be relying on you so you don’t want to let them down.

Be enthusiastic. Don’t moan and groan your way through your volunteer work. If you really don’t like what you’re doing, find something else. Always have a positive attitude and show others that you’re doing this because you WANT to.

Be open-minded. One of the really great things about being a volunteer is the chance to learn and experience new things. Keep your mind open to new possibilities, and you’ll probably grow as a person.

Be respectful. Always remember to show respect for other people and other cultures. Keep in mind that your way of thinking or living is not the only way there is.

Be cooperative. Don’t be a “hot shot” or a loner. Don’t try to do everything yourself. Work as part of a team to make sure everyone gets a chance to participate and do his or her fair share of work. If someone asks for help, be willing to lend a hand. If you need some help, ask politely for it.

Be understanding. Try to see things through other people’s eyes. Try your best to understand what other people are going through, even if it’s something you’ve never dealt with yourself.

Be humble. Humble people don’t brag or go around telling everyone about all the good things they’ve done just to get some attention or feel superior. They’re happy knowing that they’re making a difference, and don’t need to shout about it.

Be friendly. Treat others like friends, and they’ll do the same for you. Many people who volunteer meet new people with whom they want to stay friends. You might just meet someone who becomes a buddy for the rest of your life!

From: pbskids.org

Former WCR client testimonial!

noreply@blogger.com (Elise) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 17:29:00 +0000

I recently received the following letter from a previous WCR rider:

We Can Ride is a nice, friendly place. At We Can Ride has very gentle horses. The instructors at We Can Ride are nice to. I have a friend named Patti she is one of the instructors that teaches in We Can Ride. If you have disabilities sign up for We Can Ride class. We Can Ride helps a lot of people with disabilities everyone has sidewalkers and leaders when you are riding one of the We Can Ride horses. Love Ashley.

Long Time!

noreply@blogger.com (Elise) — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 13:35:00 +0000

Can you believe it's been March since anyone had time to update the We Can Ride blog? I can! With classes fully underway, the second session is just about over and we're in the middle of Summer Ride-A-Thon. There's so much going on we've hardly had a chance to breath let alone write a blog entry! Make sure you check out the rest of our website for some of the upcoming events - there's so much to do! Just to name a few:

Golf Tournament

Junk Bonanza

Annual Trail Ride

New Volunteer Training

Fall Ride-A-Thon

Fall Session

Harvest Horse Show

The Annual Meeting

Personally, I am excited for the Annual Trail Ride. This will be our third year and hopefully our biggest year yet! Make sure you sign up and start getting pledges if you want to ride with us. This year we hope to have a club award for the club/barn that brings in the most pledges as well as individual awards so get your barn and clubs geared up. Print some fliers and hand them out to all your horse-friends. What better way to spend a nice fall day than on the back of a horse!

Writing enthusiasts: We need you for our blog! If you're a part of We Can Ride (volunteer, rider, staff, parent, etc), help keep our blog exciting and new. If you have a story to tell type it up and email it to the We Can Ride office with the subject "blog entry" and we'll get it on our site!

Region 6 Conference

noreply@blogger.com (Elise) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 13:57:00 +0000

One of the great things about being part of an organization like We Can Ride and NARHA is the opportunities for education and personal growth. This past weekend a few of We Can Ride's Instructors and I went up to Fargo, North Dakota for the Region 6 Conference. The Regional Conferences offer centers in each region a chance to gather for learning opportunities as well as vote on important topics in the region, discuss standards and wording, and brain storm with other centers.

Friday evening, after arriving in Fargo and checking into our hotel room, we gathered together for the beginning of the conference. Michael Richardson www.brokenrranch.com started off the night with an enlightening keynote that covered his abilities as a paraplegic in the horse industry and how having a solid relationship with yourself can take you further in this world than anything else. We followed up his keynote with pizza and beverages and a lot of discussion around the pool in the hotel and the opportunity to bid on several silent auction items.

Bright and early Saturday morning while the state representatives met, we filled up on breakfast and awaited our first session. I attended a talk on Cereberal Palsy and Developmental Adapted Physical Education (DAPE). The biggest idea I took away from this session were some great examples on how to educate our volunteers on what a rider with CP and similar abilities would experience in our program. If you're volunteering on Thursday evenings in Minnetonka you might get hands on experience with my "enlightenment!" I followed up that presentation with one regarding Physical Disabilities presented by an Occupational Therapist. After a great lunch and a meeting to discuss Region 6 matters we zoomed over to the NDSU Sheppard Arena for the barn demonstrations.

We were fortunate enough to have Michael Richardson lead a demonstration on his techniques for working with horses. He worked with two therapy horses from the hosting program. All from his chair in the round pen he exhibited how to work with a "sassy" horse at liberty and get her to the confidence level that would allow her to explore a "scary" tarp on the ground. He also worked with a "pushy" horse on leading and staying the proper distance from the leader. The horse demos were followed be a talk on Equine Chiropractics and Accupuncture led by a Certified Equine Chiropractor as well as a talk on tack fit and how the two things go hand in hand. When these sessions were complete we were free to explore Fargo and find some dinner. We ended up at the Lone Star for some really great steak and a fun waiter that we may have recruited as a therapeutic riding volunteer!

Sunday morning it was back up early as can be for the State Meetings. This is the chance for each state to discuss business, make decisions, and vote on leadership. I guess I was in the "right" place at the right time as it appears I'm now the Minnesota State Vice President for NARHA. We followed up our state meeting with attending the Standards Meeting. This was a place to discuss the NARHA standards and assist with wording so that they are easy to understand and make sense. Finally we attended the Instructor Forum for some lively discussion on various aspects of instructing therapeutic horseback riding. We were limited in time but I'm sure all of the instructors could have talked all day about their centers and ask questions of other instructors on games and classes and any number of topics.

So now we're back in Minnesota and I know the four of us that attended the conference are ready to start a new season of riding with We Can Ride. We're filled with new ideas and reenergized. The Region Conference is a great place to start off a new session and anyone can attend, volunteers, administration, board members, care givers, not just instructors. So maybe next year give it some thought, check out the topics, and put it on your calendar.

How to get ready for a new WCR season!

noreply@blogger.com (Elise) — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 17:31:00 +0000

It always seems like such a long time between your last therapeutic riding session of the year and your first riding lesson of the next year. Never fear! We Can Ride is right around the corner along with spring and warmer temperatures. Just think, this time next week it'll be an hour later in the day!

So while you're patiently waiting for the new session to start here's a few things you can do to get ready:

Clients:
1. Get out that helmet - dust it off, make sure it's a certified helmet, and make sure it still fits! Now is a good time to practice wearing your helmet and make sure all the buckles and clasps are in proper working order. If you've never participated in WCR before, practicing with your helmet is a good way to get in the mood!
2. Start stretching - don't forget that sometimes after your first ride you might be a little sore. Do some simple stretching: reach to the sky! touch your toes!
3. Brush up on your horse parts - do you remember where all the important horse parts are? Where is the horse's head/poll? How about the horse's withers? I bet you remember where the horse's tail is!
4. Remember your cues - do you recall how to ask your horse to "walk on?" How about asking your horse to "whoa?" Don't forget to brush up on your right and left so you can tell your horse which direction to go.

Volunteers:
1. Start stretching - stretching is always a great thing for both riders and volunteers. Have you been sitting at a desk all winter? Take some stretching breaks to get ready for spring!
2. Get strong - don't forget you might have to hold your arms up to steady a rider for a good portion of a class, so start working those biceps so you don't tire as quickly. Now is also a great time to get out for some regular walking to prepare for walking in a riding lesson.
3. Make a list - are there some things about therapeutic riding you'd like to learn more about? Make a list and ask your instructor when the session starts.
4. Dust off those boots - don't forget that the barn isn't neccessarily the cleanest place, get out those old barn boots so you don't have to tip-toe through the horse "apples!"
5. Get some WCR swag - if you want to help support We Can Ride and wear some groovy red and black, check out the WCR Wearables for some fun items!
6. Don't miss the first night - make sure you don't miss the first night during the week of March 24 (call the office to find out if your location is holding this class), you'll have the opportunity to brush up on your skills, ask questions, get a tour, and get to know your fellow volunteers.

I hope these tips will help get you ready for spring. I know all of the We Can Ride staff is looking forward to seeing everyone in a few weeks and ready to start another awesome session of therapeutic riding and driving!

What happens during the winter at We Can Ride?

noreply@blogger.com (Elise) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 16:30:00 +0000

Did you ever wonder what happens between October and April while you're not volunteering, riding, or driving for We Can Ride? What do those horses do all winter? Don't they get bored? I'll let you in on a little secret, while you're taking a much deserved winter break, the We Can Ride horses are hard at work. Sure they have some time off right after classes are over, everyone deserves a break! But it's not long before they're back to work.

Some of the horses at Minnetonka get to help the residents learn horsemanship skills and riding. They even help residents learn to be good leaders for the Spring, Summer, and Fall sessions. Then in January, a few brave souls travel to the barn to help remind the horses what We Can Ride is all about. Most evenings you can't even recognized the volunteers because they are so bundled up with clothing to keep warm, you can't see their faces!

Some horses need exercise so they get lead, ridden, and lunged. Some horses need refresher courses and how to be polite in the mounting block and how to prepare for a client. Sometimes new horses arrive and they need to start training to become the best therapy horse they can be. A new horse has his work cut out for him. New things like balls, hula hoops, barrels, and poles can be a bit scary when you're a new therapy horse. So volunteers help the new horses learn that toys are fun and can help their clients during riding and driving classes. Corey is new this year and is probably going to work at the U of MN. For now he's at Minnetonka and learning all the ins and outs about being a therapy horse. His favorite thing to do is roll in the dirt when his lessons are over.

There's a few lucky horses that even get to help teach volunteers all sorts of new things: how to become a great leader, what the different parts are on a horse, how to tell if a horse isn't feeling very good, how to find the right saddle for the horse, or even how to find the right horse for each client.

Five Above

noreply@blogger.com (jenni) — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 19:53:00 +0000

The high temp expected today is five degrees above zero... days like today one would need a good pair of coveralls and mittens, hat, boot and boot warmers, and long underwear to brave the outside!

So here's a thanks to those of you taking care of our We Can Ride horses, no matter what the weather. Thanks for looking after everybody during the cold, and every, season. And don't you just love that the horses just do what they do living in this stuff?!

So it's after the holidays, and it's been a month to put everything away, and get settled... is anyone else starting to get the itch to get back to the barn? I am starting to look forward to getting back to seeing everyone, hugs for horses, high-fives for riders. Especially after watching last week's Extreme Home Makeover where they revamped a home and barn for a woman running a therapeutic horseback riding program... watching the warm sunshine and horses and riders and volunteers, I remember why I love it, and miss it.

But hey! If you haven't heard already, there are some great classes going on through WCR in their office and the barn. You can find that information on this very website! I took a bunch of the classes last year- and they were really great. And if you attend any classes in the barn- good place to warm up your hand quickly is right under the mane of any willing horse....

Poem by Guest Writer: Michaela

noreply@blogger.com (Elise) — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 02:28:00 +0000

This poem is dedicated to everyone at We Can Ride. By Michaela Powers.

Hope, something to look forward to
Overcoming, differences, challenges, physically and mentally
Responsibility, learning to take care of horses
Success, sense of accomplishment
Exercises, physical therapy
Break, just be a kid
Attitude, I can do anything
Completion, completing the task
Keep trying

Respect; treat others how you would want to be treated
Independent, freedom from disability
Discipline, determination
Inspirational, have a hero
Never say I can't
Graceful, gentle

We Can Ride Trail Ride Fund Raiser!

noreply@blogger.com (Elise) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 16:18:00 +0000

I might have to retire my little old digital camera because these photos do not adequately represent the fun we had on the trail ride this past Sunday (and they're a little blurry)! It was a great day for a ride, that's for sure. The sun was out and it was a nice 70F.

Several groups of folks and their horses gathered in the Minnesota Valley Recreation area in Jordan, MN for some food, fun, and riding all in the name of raising money for We Can Ride. I don't know the official count but I think we raised over $1000! We had a variety of horses from cart horses to barrel racers attend the ride. Everyone was welcome and I think everyone had a great time.

Once again this year our very own barn manager, Stephanie, was the top fund raiser! There was also a drawing for door prizes that included saddle blankets, hay bags, and leather halters. Just about every horse from my barn was there, including Tom's newly trained Pintos! Check out the photo of Dick helping Tom get situated before the ride. Stephanie's dad flew up from Colorado to ride with us and we had a pretty good showing for the Thursday Minnetonka volunteers.

If you missed out, you'll have to keep an eye open next year and try to join in. The more the merrier!

Special Olympics!

noreply@blogger.com (Elise) — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 13:27:00 +0000

We Can Ride had a number of clients compete in the Special Olympics Equestrian Event on August 24, 2007, up at Woodloch Stables in Hugo, Minnesota. These athletes have been training for ten weeks at Bunker Park Stables in preparation for the event. It was a beautiful day that Friday and the competitors did a great job; it was fun to watch them compete in classes that included on-lead and independent guiding! Photos will be arriving on the website soon – please check back to see them. Congratulations to all our winning clients!

Here are the results:

Anne Beckering (Age Group 22-29)
Working Trails, 2nd Place
English Obstacle, 7th Place
Western Equitation, 1st Place
English Equitation, 5th Place

Bryan Belknap (Age Group 16-21)
Western Equitation, 3rd Place
Working Trails, 1st Place

Jillian Groen (Age Group 22-29)
Western Equitation, 2nd Place
English Equitation, 1st Place
English Obstacle, 1st Place
Working Trails, 3rd Place

Michelle Mack-Bohnhoff (Age Group 16-21)
Working Trails, 1st Place

Taylor Mattice (Age Group 22-29)
English Obstacle, 2nd Place
English Equitation, 3rd Place

Laura Nelson (Age Group 16-21)
Working Trails, 2nd Place
English Equitation, 2nd Place
English Obstacle, 1st Place
Western Equitation, 1st Place

Nicole Raines (Age Group 12-15)
Western Equitation, 3rd Place
Working Trails, 2nd Place

post by Patti Franz (client coordinator)

horses rule

noreply@blogger.com (jenni) — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 02:08:00 +0000

This is an art piece done of Rusty, the horse at the Minnetonka site. A client from my Monday night class made it. I love it. She has always been drawing her horse (no matter what horse she is assigned) but when this art piece of Rusty came it was just too much.

I think it's so neat the way that our clients connect with their horses. So many of them have their favorites. Each has a horse they look forward to riding each week. I'm convinced the horses remember them, too. Our horses have been expressed in many ways before, click here to see.

I think that's gotta be one of the best thing about his program, from instructors to volunteers to clients to horses back to the client and volunteers, it's just endless... it's beautiful.

I'm glad Rusty has got someone who loves him enough to make him into art.

Somebody Pinch Me Please

noreply@blogger.com (jenni) — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 19:42:00 +0000

After however many years it's been (almost a full 9, I figure) I can't believe how rewarding it still feels to volunteer for WCR. I'm about to finish my first session teaching my own class. Sure I taught last session, but this time, I was like REALLY in charge. It hadn't even occurred to me until a volunteer brought it up to me last night. We had just finished class 7 of 8, and after he said it out loud I laughed at first, and then felt like I needed to be pinched. A whole session on my own.

I'd almost even forgotten that his was my first. Nine years of class every Monday and I guess I've gotten pretty comfortable in the class setting. And even though every week it seems hard to come up with something to do- I always do come up with something. I see similar things in the volunteers. Getting to know their clients and each week getting more comfortable with certain things. Then on the other side they are trying new things with the stuff they aren't comfortable with.

I had a brand new volunteer leading in class last night. It was a slow and hot night and thought it would be a good night to practice. And she did great! And the end she almost let her horse out with her halter still on, thankfully I was right there and we caught her time. But I just had to laugh. I remember when I first started and let a horse out with the halter on, but then it was dark out. And we (the instructor, my mom and I) went marching out with flashlights into the HUGE pasture and retrieved the halter. I didn't do it ever again!

I get so excited for new volunteers, getting to feel that exhilaration that the first few sessions / year / years can bring. But then, what am I saying? It still feels that way after 9 years. I love going to class. I get excited about getting to see everyone each week. I like getting to work with the clients and volunteers. I LOVE seeing volunteers getting excited about what they are doing.

We Can Ride is good therapy for ME. I can't believe the session is almost over. I guess it's true what the saying says, "Time flies when you're having fun". I am having loads of fun.

Rake It In for the new Therapy Department!

noreply@blogger.com (jenni) — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 13:41:00 +0000

Introducing the new therapy department. A way to expand services and knowledge through the help of our very special therapists! First up- a little bit of fundraising. We've got these awesome rakes for sale for just $5. They are really cool in that they are shaped more like a hockey stick than your traditional rake. What an awesome way to get some yardwork done by playing some leaf hockey... and even better benefiting WCR. Contact the office if you are interested. 952.934.0057

Keep your eyes on the WCR website for all the exciting events!

noreply@blogger.com (jenni) — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 13:30:00 +0000

Busy Busy!
We just completed our annual tack sale (below are some photos of all the awesome stuff there was!) and in May we had a special event hosted by the Onion called Brewing for a cause.
Watch out because coming up is the annual golf tournament, ride-a-thon, and a trail ride fundraiser. See our News and Calendar pages for details on these events.

Familiar Faces

noreply@blogger.com (jenni) — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 13:11:00 +0000

Began my second session today, my first as a solo instructor. It was really exciting, and kind of a bit of everything coming full circle.

My class consists of several clients that have moved from the Independence site, which I was a Teaching Assistant at for a long time, so many of the faces were very familiar. All the time I spent there, at the shrine barn, learning about these clients and about the program. It was these clients that had taught me about different things, hooked me into the teaching part of the program.

So to start class and see their progress and successes is really cool. Now I can watch them grow on these different horses at a new site with new classmates. There's more to learn, me included. I guess that's another thing about WCR, often there are attachments that are made to a client, horse, volunteer, instructor, and because of the strength and longevity of the program we can follow each other as we grow and change.

And it's not just in the riding ring, over the last two years I've been to graduation parties for two of our clients. But we are all living lives, and having this common place to meet once a week for months out of the year. Through orchestra and band concerts, proms, starting school, birthdays, etc.

Every week when we ask what's new, talking about those things in our lives, and to look back at how long you've been in the program together, and all the things that have happened and changed. And that we were doing this, together, all the way along. I bet I don't even know that much compared to the beloved Bev & Dick. They know better than anyone what it means to watch someone change through the years and WCR. I'm only beginning to see what that means.

Well, for fear of rambling, I'll be done. Sometimes this program just moves me, and I realize how lucky I am to be receiving this kind of "therapy" in return for my service. It's definitely better than getting paid.